6:15am. I wake up to the sound of Sam’s alarm going off and loud purrs from my two-year-old, cross-eyed tabby cat, Bean, who knows his breakfast is about to be served. I get an extra thirty minutes of much-needed shut-eye before slowly rolling out of bed around 6:45am – I’ve never been much of a morning person.
7am. I get ready for work before letting off my very excitable six-month-old black Labrador, Peppa. I take her for a quick early morning stroll, usually with her favourite dirt-covered toy duck in her mouth. I then chuck my gear in the car and give Bean some well-deserved cat biscuits before folding down my back seats to fit in Peppa and her bed. We leave no later than 7:40am, allowing time to get stuck behind a stock truck or tractor on my seventeen-minute commute to Taihape Vets.
9:45am. After a morning of booking appointments, selling and keeping tabs on animal health stock levels, and serving farmers and pet owners, it’s time for my first coffee – and meal – of the day. We all gather in the staffroom and compare how many attempts it took us to solve the daily Wordle.
1pm. After another couple of hours of work it is lunchtime. If I have Peppa with me, I’ll take her for a walk around the block before eating leftovers from last night’s tea and reading my book. I’ll often go to the supermarket at lunch to avoid the after-work rush. If I have no packed lunch with me that day, I’ll head out for sushi.
2pm. I love seeing and meeting all the animals that come into the clinic, from cats and dogs to rabbits, pet lambs, chickens and sometimes the occasional goat! I am very lucky to get my puppy and kitten fix daily. I really enjoy the daily chats with farmers, farmers’ partners and pet owners.
5:30pm. After a drive home, listening to music, I’ll head out on another quick walk with Peppa while listening to a crime or unsolved mystery podcast. If I’m not out walking, I’ll go say hello to Sam’s ten working dogs while he feeds them. Then it’s a quick shower and cooking dinner while having a debrief with Sam about how our days have gone. Dinner is eaten with our latest favourite Netflix show playing.
Curling is always a very important aspect of my day – even when I am not back in the South Island training with my teammates – Jess, Bridget, Natalie and Ruby – and coaches, Nelson and Sean. Most nights after dinner are spent catching up on our group chat or having video calls. Our chats consist of anything from our latest fundraising and networking ideas, organising our next training weekend, curling game strategies, our fitness plans or just having a good chinwag about what we have been up to.
9:30pm. By now I am usually in bed with a cup of tea or hot choc, reading my book or catching up with friends on my phone, with Bean tucked up fast asleep next to me. Once I’ve finished my hot drink, it’s lights out and off to sleep – ready to do it all again tomorrow!
Read our earlier chat with Holly, “The compromise works both ways.”
This story appeared in our Takurua Winter 2023 Edition.
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